Chuzhou Logistics Update: Port Expansion and Road Network Accelerate Regional Integration
Chuzhou logistics is undergoing a major transformation, with the Port of Chuzhou (滁州港, Chúzhōu Gǎng) and its regional road network (路网, lùwǎng) accounting for combined infrastructure investments of RMB 8.7 billion in 2024–2025. This makes the city a critical logistics node in the Hefei-Nanjing-Yangtze River Delta corridor. The developments are expected to increase annual container throughput capacity by 35% to 420,000 TEU and reduce average truck transit time to Nanjing by 22 minutes by the end of 2026.
Port of Chuzhou: Capacity and Connectivity Upgrades
The Port of Chuzhou is the largest inland river port in Anhui Province, operating along the Chuhe River which connects to the Yangtze River at Nanjing. In 2024, total cargo throughput reached 62.1 million tons, up 11.3% year-on-year, with container volume hitting 310,000 TEU — an increase of 19% from 2023. The city has completed Phase II of the Chuzhou Port Comprehensive Terminal, adding two 10,000-ton berths and 180,000 m³ of warehousing space.
In parallel, the Chuzhou-Nanjing cross-border logistics zone (滁宁跨境物流区, Chú-Níng kuàjìng wùliú qū) is now operational between 天长 (Tiāncháng) and Nanjing’s Luhe District, streamlining customs clearance from 24 hours to as little as 6 hours for paperless shipments. This zone alone handled RMB 2.3 billion in goods in Q1 2025, with projected annual throughput of RMB 12 billion.
The port’s integration with the Yangtze River Economic Belt (长江经济带, Cháng Jiāng Jīngjì Dài) has attracted 7 new logistics firms, including two publicly listed companies from Shanghai and Shenzhen, to establish regional sorting hubs in Chuzhou’s Economic Development Zone.
Road Network Expansion: The “Three Horizontal, Three Vertical” Spine
Chuzhou’s road network is being reorganized under the “Three Horizontal, Three Vertical” plan (三横三纵, sān héng sān zòng), a RMB 4.2 billion initiative that adds 217 km of expressway and upgrades 89 km of national highway G-328 and G-104. The centerpiece is the Chuzhou Bypass Freeway (滁州绕城高速, Chúzhōu ràochéng gāosù), which opened in March 2025, cutting cross-city truck transit from 55 minutes to 28 minutes.
Key road projects include:
- Chu-Xuan Expressway (滁宣高速, Chú Xuān gāosù): Connects Chuzhou’s Chuyang Port area to Xuancheng, reducing cargo run time by 40 minutes.
- Nanjing-Chuzhou City-Rail Link (宁滁城际, Níng-Chú chéngjì): Road-rail intermodal transfer station at Quanjiao (全椒) now processes 1,200 containers per day.
- Chuzhou Airport Logistics Corridor: A new 15-km dual-carriageway linking the Chuzhou Airport cargo terminal directly to S12 Expressway.
Freight trucks using the ETC (电子不停车收费系统, diànzǐ bù tíng chē shōufèi xìtǒng) recorded average speed increases of 24% on the upgraded sections, and the combined road network now moves 74% of all containerized cargo in the city, compared to 58% in 2022.
| Indicator | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (est.) | Change (2023–2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port cargo throughput (million tons) | 55.8 | 62.1 | 71.4 | +28% |
| Container throughput (TEU) | 260,000 | 310,000 | 380,000 | +46% |
| Road freight volume (million tons) | 148 | 167 | 192 | +30% |
| Cross-border customs clearance time (hours) | 24 | 8 | 6 | –75% |
| Expressway length (km) | 267 | 339 | 484 | +81% |
Intermodal Integration: Port-Rail-Seamless Transfer
The Chuzhou intermodal hub at the Suzhou east junction (苏滁东枢纽, Sū-Chú dōng shūniǔ) now handles port-rail-road transfers, with a daily capacity of 950 TEU across all three modes. In 2024, port-to-rail container transfers increased 31% to 112,000 TEU, reducing dependence on road-only shipments. The hub’s freight rail line connects directly to the Beijing-Shanghai Railway (京沪铁路, Jīng-Hù tiělù) at Chuzhou North Station.
The city has also introduced a digital freight matching platform (货运匹配平台, huòyùn pǐpèi píngtái), now used by 84% of licensed carriers in the prefecture. The platform processes average 56,000 shipment matches per month, cutting empty-return truck trips by 12% and saving carriers an estimated RMB 95 million annually in fuel and toll costs. The platform is integrated with the Yangtze River Delta Port Community System (长三角港口社区系统, Cháng Sān Jiǎo gǎngkǒu shèqū xìtǒng), allowing real-time container tracking from Chuzhou to Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan.
For foreign logistics operators, Chuzhou now offers a single-window customs clearance (单一窗口, dānyī chuāngkǒu) for bonded goods entering the Chuzhou Integrated Bonded Zone (滁州综合保税区, Chúzhōu zōnghé bǎoshuì qū), reducing documentation requirements from 12 forms to 5.
Regional Logistics Competition: Chuzhou vs. Wuhu and Ma’anshan
Chuzhou logistics developers now compete directly with the ports of Wuhu (芜湖, Wúhú) and Ma’anshan (马鞍山, Mǎ’ānshān) for Yangtze River cargo bound for Jiangsu and Shanghai. Chuzhou’s advantage is its proximity to Nanjing — the new road network cuts distance to the Nanjing Longtan Container Port from 102 km to 84 km, saving 38 minutes per trip. However, Wuhu still handles 2.3x more container volume annually (710,000 TEU vs. Chuzhou’s 310,000 TEU in 2024).
To close the gap, Chuzhou has reduced port handling fees by 15% for transshipment containers and now offers rental subsidies of RMB 80 per m² for warehouse space within 5 km of the port. This attracted a joint venture between a German automotive parts supplier and a Shanghai 3PL, leasing 28,000 m² of storage capacity in Q1 2025.
If your freight route originates south of the Yangtze River, the Wuhu port remains more direct. If your cargo targets Nanjing or southern Jiangsu, choose Chuzhou for the faster road connection and lower handling fees. If rail connectivity to northern China is critical, Ma’anshan’s direct line to Zhengzhou may prove superior.
NEXT STEPS
- Evaluate port access routing — Review your inbound container logistics to determine whether Chuzhou’s new expressway links reduce total door-to-port time versus current Wuhu or Ma’anshan routes. Consider a trial shipment through the Chuzhou-Nanjing cross-border logistics zone to test the 6-hour customs clearance.
Read our Chuzhou logistics routing analysis → - Assess warehouse subsidy eligibility — If your business stores cargo within Chuzhou’s logistics zone, calculate the RMB 80/m² rental subsidy against your current warehouse costs in Nanjing or Hefei. The subsidy applies to minimum 3-year leases for distribution or cross-dock operations.
Check warehouse subsidy qualification → - Plan compliance for digital freight platform — If you operate or contract trucking in Chuzhou, ensure your fleet is registered on the city’s digital freight matching platform to access empty-return reduction savings. The platform is mandatory for all bonded zone shipments effective January 2026.
View platform registration guide →
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